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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  September  9,  2004  J.  Israel  Balderas  at  (202)  513-  4531 
 E-  mail:  israel.  balderas@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  VIDEO  ON  WIRELESS  LOCAL  NUMBER  PORTABILITY  REACHES  OUT  TO  HISPANIC  COMMUNITY 
 Washington,  DC  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  announced  that  it  has  released  a  Spanish  language  informational  video  on  its  website  to  inform  Spanish-  speaking 
 consumers  about  the  benefits  and  process  of  wireless  local  number  portability  –  or  LNP.  “The  Commission  wants  all  wireless  consumers  to  enjoy  the  benefits  and  flexibility  of  local  number 
 portability.  It  is  important  that  wireless  customers  be  informed  of  their  options,”  said  John  Muleta,  Chief  of  the  FCC’s  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau,  “and  language  should  not  be 
 a  barrier  to  consumer  choice.”  The  new  video  mirrors  an  earlier  English  language  video  on  the  FCC’s  website.  The  videos  provide  information  on  what  local  number  portability  means,  and 
 how  to  switch  wireless  carriers  with  minimal  problems. 
 The  FCC’s  rules  requiring  wireless  local  number  portability  became  effective  in  the  largest  100  markets  in  the  country  on  November  24,  2003,  and  in  the  rest  of  the  country  on  May 
 24,  2004.  In  the  first  eight  months  of  wireless  LNP,  5.4  million  consumers  moved  their  wireless  number  to  another  wireless  carrier.  Over  a  half  million  people  “cut  the  cord”  and  moved  a 
 landline  number  to  a  wireless  carrier.  . 
 Also  today,  the  FCC  adopted  its  Ninth  Annual  Report  on  the  state  of  competition  in  the  commercial  wireless  marketplace.  The  Commission  concluded  that  competitive  conditions  in  the 
 wireless  industry  provide  significant  benefits  and  buying  power  to  wireless  customers.  Some  studies  estimate  that  over  70  percent  of  the  U.  S.  Hispanic  population  owns  a  mobile  telephone. 


 “Consumer  choice  is  enhanced  by  local  number  portability  and  should  give  all  consumers  the  ability  to  shop  for  the  best  service.”  said  FCC  Chairman  Michael  K.  Powell.  “This  sort  of 
 outreach  to  the  Hispanic  community  is  one  of  the  more  important  things  we  can  do  to  ensure  that  all  consumers  enjoy  the  full  benefits  of  this  vibrant  wireless  marketplace.” 


 Both  the  Spanish  and  the  English  language  videos  are  available  at  http://  wireless.  fcc.  gov/  wlnp/  and  are  closed  captioned. 
 -  FCC  - 
 News  and  other  information  about  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  is  available  at  www.  fcc.  gov. 
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